HOW TO ROAST AND BAKE

Roasting is the best way to bring out intense flavors to fruits and vegetables -- with a crispy browned exterior and a soft tender interior, it is one of the most satisfying way to pack flavors into a dish with minimal effort. 

In order to achieve a crisp exterior and tender interior, the surfaces of the fruits and vegetables must be lightly coated in oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper or sugar before cooking. Feel free to use herbs and zests to kick up flavor profiles but add towards the end to avoid burning.

Make sure the fruits or vegetables are spread out in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Do not over crowd the pan or they will not caramelize correctly and will steam instead.

Roasting usually occurs at temperatures of 400F but can vary with different recipes. With a high temperature, its important to toss the fruits or vegetables once or twice during roasting and rotating the pan for even cooking.

Baking is similar to roasting and is also used to intensify flavors in dishes, create magical creations in the world of pastries, desserts and bread, great for casseroles, quiches, and usually refers to cooking vegetables and fruits whole (whereas roasting is cut into pieces). 

Baking at a low temperature for a long period of time is usually known as drying. You can even bake hard to cut squashes to soften the exterior -- this would be great for kabocha, spaghetti, and butternut. Simply stick in the oven at 350F for 10-20 minutes and then cut and hollow out the seeds. Your knife and hands will thank you.